Alex Randolph
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Alexander Randolph (4 May 1922 – 27 April 2004) was an American designer of board games and writer. Alex Randolph's game creations include TwixT, Breakthru, Hol's der Geier, Inkognito (with Leo Colovini),[1] Raj, Ricochet Robot, and Enchanted Forest (with Michael Matschoss).[2]
Biography
[edit | edit source]Alexander Randolph was born on 4th May 1922 in Czechoslovakia where his parents spent four years coming from the USA. He was the son of self-described "rich parents". His father Samuel Alexander was an artist painter born in Odessa, Russian Empire (1878-1944) and his mother Mary (1882-1955) was an American sculptor. Alex and his half-brother Christopher Craig spent their childhood and teenage in Venice, Italy. They both attended a private school in Switzerland.[3] The Randolph family owned the Palazzetto Stern along the Grand Canal in Dorsoduro in Venice from 1924 to ~1946-47. Alex spent his early years in various occupations, including military intelligence and as an advertising copy editor in Boston.[citation needed]
In 1961, Alex Randolph moved to Japan and became a professional game developer, performing initial work on TwixT. During this time, he became a dan player in shogi.
In 1962, Alex Randolph (along with Sid Sackson) was commissioned to start a new game division for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (also known as 3M). Through 3M, Randolph created and published such games as Breakthru, Evade, Oh-Wah-Ree, and TwixT.[4]
Alex Randolph moved back to Venice, Italy in 1968, continuing his career as a game developer with the company Venice Connection established with Dario De Toffoli and Leo Colovini.[5]
Alex Randolph was married to Gertrude Eisenstadt (1921-2008), an American.
Alex Randolph died aged 82 in Venice on 27 April 2004. His grave is in San Michele Cemetery in Venice until February 2029.[4]
Alex wrote 3 books. Also, two biographies were written on Alex : « Die Sonnenseite » by Philippe Evrard and « Alex Randolph : Artista e autore di giochi » by Cosimo Cardellicchio.
Recognition
[edit | edit source]In 2016, as a testimony to his career, Fabulous Games published ADDX – the first ever digital game from Alex Randolph.[citation needed]
Following Randolph's death, the Nuremberg Museum set up a special permanent collection of Randolph's games titled the Alexander Randolph Viewing Collection.[6]
Awards
[edit | edit source]Game of the Year
- 1982 for Enchanted Forest
Children's Game of the Year
- 1989 for Gute Freunde
- 1997 for Leinen Los!
Special Awards
- 1996 Most Beautiful Game for Venice Connection
- 1988 Most Beautiful game for Inkognito
Hall of Fame
- 2011 induction as a designer
- 2011 induction of TwixT
References
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Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Alex Randolph & Phillipe Evrard: Die Sonnenseite. Fragmente aus dem Leben eines Spieleerfinders. Verlag Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne, Uehlfeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-941345-09-6
External links
[edit | edit source]- Alex Randolph's games at BoardGameGeek
- A Talk with Alex Randolph (1988 interview) Archived 2006-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Biography translated into English
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